Title

Author

Date of Award

Document Type

Degree Name

Master of Architecture (MArch)

Legacy Department

Architecture

Advisor

Allison, David

Committee Member

Battisto , Dina

Committee Member

Sherrill , Windsor

Committee Member

Harding , Daniel

Abstract

The overall aim of this research and design project is to develop a primary care setting that responds to the current changes in the healthcare system and accommodates predicted developments in the future. It takes advantage of opportunities created by the Affordable Care Act and initiatives started under the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. One of these includes the creation of Healthcare Innovation Zones as a way to bring integrative, comprehensive health services to a wider population through the network of a teaching hospital, physicians, and other clinical entities. The proposed ambulatory care setting is a model for this clinical entity conceived to reconsider critical components of a Healthcare Innovation Zone. Through the process of literature review and case study analysis, existing problems and evolving trends in both the healthcare and architectural contexts were identified. Following this process, guidelines were developed that outline architectural design criteria fundamental to this proposed type of primary care clinical entity; these include gradient zones, transparency, simplified circulation, modular planning, pod groupings, open team hubs, standardized care rooms, and transformable space. A model program and site selection criteria are also developed that incorporate elements critical to defining a Healthcare Innovation Zone and completing one within the specific context of downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The new model will represent an innovative but attainable design that places the patient at the center of a collaborative network of care providers affiliated with Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The spirit of collaboration is intended to bring together the public, patients, providers, and medical students as all users of the space take part in educational experiences. Unlike traditional outpatient clinics, this new setting is conceived as a highly accessible, integrated part of people's overall lifestyle, merging public, educational, and medical spheres. The facility will function as a support center to informed, active patients and caring, proactive providers who are concerned with preventive measures and comprehensive management, rather than merely reactive treatment. It will be engaged and complimented by forward-thinking individuals who stand at the forefront of developing new practices and technologies to improve the individual's lifestyle. The center has the potential to become a replicable model that other communities could adopt to further a primary care revolution and ensure higher-quality healthcare to the greater society.